“You and I need to talk,” Sonny said into the small cell phone he held to his ear. He waited a moment as he listened to the person on the other end of the line. “You may think we have nothing to discuss, but I think otherwise. I think it would be . . . in your benefit to meet with me.” Again, Sonny listened. “Pier 52. Thirty minutes.” Not waiting for a response this time, Sonny snapped his phone closed. Now it was time to confront the source of all his problems.

*~*~*~*~*

“What was that all about?” Diego asked his father as he stepped into Lorenzo’s office.

Lorenzo turned and saw his son. “Were you eavesdropping?” he asked unhappily. The call from Sonny had been unexpected and left Lorenzo wondering what he was up to now.

“No. I was coming to see you when I heard you on the phone. You hadn’t seen me yet, so I decided to wait until you were done. Was it something important?”

Lorenzo sighed. Diego had grown up so much since Jessica’s death. He had stepped up to the plate for his family when it counted. Lorenzo wasn’t sure what he would have done without his son.

“That was Corinthos. He wants to meet with me.”

Diego shook his head. “You’re not going, are you?” he asked.

“I have to,” Lorenzo answered.

“Why Pop? The guy’s crazy – literally. You can’t be serious about meeting with him.”

Walking over to his son, Lorenzo put his hand on Diego’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t take the chance of going alone. From what I’ve been able to gather, Corinthos has been slowly going off the deep end since Jason and I took everything away from him. Now, Jason is spending the afternoon with Elaina. I want to leave Max here at the house with everyone else. So . . . that leaves you. You want to go with me?”

Diego was shocked . . . actually, surprised was more like it. It wasn’t like his father hadn’t been teaching him the ropes of the business, under the condition that Diego finish school and find his own path – but his father was standing there telling him that he needed him to watch his back. It was a heady feeling and one he treasured.

Diego nodded. “You can count on me Pop. You know that.”

Lorenzo smiled. “Yes I do,” he said. “Why don’t you get the car. And don’t tell anyone where we’re going. All I need is Carly, Sam and Skye jumping down my throat over this.”

Diego understood. If the three of them found out, Lorenzo would never be able to leave the house. “Don’t worry Pop, my lips are sealed on this one."

Once Diego was gone, Lorenzo left his office, hoping to come up with something believable to tell Skye, Carly and Sam. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

*~*~*~*~*

“Sam! I home!” Elaina called out as she and her father walked into their house. When she didn’t get a response, she turned to her father. “Where Sam?” she asked.

Jason shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s visiting with Skye and Carly while we were out,” he said.

Her face lighting up, Elaina hightailed it to the back door, pulling it open and running right into Sam.

“Whoa there,” Sam said with a laugh as she caught the small bundle of energy. “And where are you off to?”

“I home Sam!” Elaina said happily and just as loudly as she had when she walked into the house.

Sam laughed again. “I can see that,” she said. “And did you come home by herself or did you bring Daddy with you?”

Elaina giggled. “Daddy in there,” she said, pointing to the living room. “I go find you.”

“Well, I think you found me,” Sam said, lifting Elaina into her arms. “Did you have a good time with Daddy?”

Elaina nodded eagerly. “We go to park and Kelly and I have brownie and we see boats.”

Sam smiled as she listened to Elaina’s recount of her afternoon out. When excited, Elaina could talk as fast as she did. “Well, I am glad you had a good time,” she said, putting Elaina back down. “Now, what do you say to a nap?”

Elaina scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “No nap. Wanna play wif Sam!” she said.

Sam knew she wouldn’t be able to get Elaina down for a nap easily. Playing with her would be the best way to tire her out.

*~*~*~*~*

Lorenzo and Diego were quiet as they made their way to Pier 52. In the car on the way over, Lorenzo went over with Diego what he knew about Sonny now. It wasn’t pretty. Sonny’s mind snapped after he and Jason had taken Sonny’s business out from under him. A business, both in organized crime and legitimate dealings, that Sonny had worked years to build. Lorenzo knew how hard something like that was and how delicate some of the associations were. None of that was built easily. But they had to make him pay. Pay for working with a woman who had no regard for an innocent human life. Pay for taking his daughter from him. For leaving a little girl without a mother. For leaving the man she loved with a broken heart. Sonny Corinthos had to pay for all of it.

The pier was quiet and empty when they arrived. Lorenzo checked his watch. They were right on time and he had a feeling that Sonny was nearby, watching them. Standing out in the open, Lorenzo clasped his hands behind his back, his gun tucked into the back of his pants, ready to go should he need it.

Diego was on alert. They brought no other backup with them. His father had not wanted to leave the women and kids at the house unprotected in any way in case this was a setup by Sonny. Lure Lorenzo away from the property and then strike. Remaining calm on the outside, Diego knew how important it was for him to be on guard right now. His father’s life depended on it.

Diego watched his father. Lorenzo stood there with a look of indifference on his face. As if waiting here was an inconvenience. But Diego knew better. He had seen his father in action before and was learning from him.

Before either man could say anything, Sonny stepped out of the shadows, a gun in his hand. Diego figured he was not going to take any chances on them killing him right away.

As Sonny stepped into the light, father and son remained calm and unmoved. Of course, they could afford to remain so calm – they weren’t the ones who lost everything . . . he was. And he was the one who needed to try and get everything back.

Lorenzo hid his shock at the sight of the once formidable Sonny Corinthos. He was no longer the well dressed, polished man Lorenzo once knew. Now this was a man with desperation and detachment in his eyes. Lorenzo knew he was going to have to be careful. In this condition, Sonny was bound to be highly unpredictable and extremely dangerous.

“You should know that I’m going to get back everything you took from me, Alcazar. All of it,” Sonny said.

“You lost it on your own, Corinthos. You destroyed yourself without help from anyone,” Lorenzo stated calmly. It was obvious that Sonny was not in control.

“I did nothing to provoke you into luring Jason away! I gave you no reason to force Jason to turn against me, to take my wife and children away, to take my business!”

Diego’s eyes widened. Was he seriously standing there listening to Sonny Corinthos claim that he did nothing wrong? Diego could feel himself shake with fury. His sister was dead because of this man, and he felt he was not to blame in anyway?

Knowing that he couldn’t act impulsively, Diego looked to his father to see his reaction. He could see the anger in his father’s eyes, but there was a caution there as well. He knew this situation could go wrong in the blink of an eye and he needed to be the one in control. It was the only way to survive.

Lorenzo swallowed, holding tight to his control when all he wanted to do was wrap his hands around Sonny’s throat and choke the life out of him. He had to be the stronger one in this.

“Unfortunately for you Sonny, I do not agree with your assessment. And unless you wanted to meet for a specific reason, I will not stand here and reiterate the pain you caused my family by your actions. But I will make a suggestion; forget whatever vendetta you feel you have against me, it will bring you nothing by trouble. If anyone should be holding a grudge, it’s me.”

Without another word, Lorenzo nodded to Diego and they walked away, leaving Sonny standing there on the pier.

*~*~*~*~*

“Sam?” Elaina said, looking up at the woman who had been there for her as long as she could remember.

“Yes sweetie,” said Sam, looking at Elaina. They were in the backyard in the sandbox. Sam had noticed how Elaina was starting to fight to stay awake.

“Do you like Daddy?” Elaina asked, looking up at Sam.

“Of course I like your Daddy,” said Sam wondering where Elaina was going with this. “Why?”

Elaina shrugged. “Do you like Daddy same as a Mommy?”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Ummm . . . when your mommy became an angel, I came here to help your daddy.”

Elaina nodded. “Do you like Daddy same as a Mommy?” she asked again.

Sam wasn’t sure how to answer that to the little girl’s satisfaction.

*~*~*~*~*

Jason stood on the edge of the patio. He had come out to tell Sam that he was going to head over to the main house a moment when he heard Elaina’s question. He saw Sam’s hesitation, indicating that she wasn’t sure how to answer.

Deciding she needed a rescue from his inquisitive daughter, Jason moved over to the play area and scooped Elaina up and over his head.

“Daddy!” Elaina squealed as she giggled and squirmed in his arms. “Put down!”

Sam smiled, glad that Jason had shown up when he did. She had been seriously wondering how to answer Elaina’s question, but the truth was, she wasn’t sure. Sam knew – when she admitted it to herself – that she deeply cared for Jason. But did he feel the same way? And how was she going to find out? It wasn’t like she could just ask him or tell him how she was feeling when her feelings were so conflicted. Sam sighed.

“All right little miss,” said Jason, watching Sam out of the corner of his eye. “I think it’s time to go in and take a nap.”

“No wanna nap,” Elaina whined as she laid her head on her father’s shoulder, her eyes barely open. “Wanna play.”

“You can play after your nap,” Jason said gently as he rubbed her back and carried her into the house. Sam followed.

Once Jason had Elaina in her bed with her stuffed bear, he pulled the covers up. “Sleep well,” he whispered.

“Wuv you Daddy,” Elaina said as she yawned. Then she saw Sam. “Wuv you Sam.”

“I love you too sweetie,” Sam said softly, brushing a kiss over her head.

Elaina looked at the picture on her nightstand. Snuggling her bear close, she whispered. “Wuv you Mommy Angel,” as her eyes drifted closed. She was asleep before Sam and Jason even left the room.

*~*~*~*~*

Esmeralda Alcazar looked through the windows of the limo as it neared the large estate her youngest son now lived in. It was breathtaking. And she had to admit that, as always, Lorenzo had made a good choice. There were a lot of similarities to this house and the grounds as to the family home in Venezuela. A smile spread over the woman’s full lips. Esmeralda knew how much Lorenzo treasured that home and could see how he brought some of that here.

As the limo pulled into the large, circular driveway, Esmeralda smiled when she saw the red-haired woman waiting for her on the steps. Esmeralda had only briefly met Skye Quartermaine during Jessica’s funeral – a very unfortunate time to get to know the woman her son was obviously very much in love with. And Esmeralda knew that much of Lorenzo’s survival during that very difficult time was due to having Skye at his side. She was eternally grateful for that. Losing her husband, a son, and two granddaughters, who had barely had a chance to live their lives, was more than a person should have to bear.

The limo stopped and Esmeralda waited as the driver opened the door. When she stepped out of the limo, she reached her hand out for Skye, pulling the woman, she hoped would soon be her daughter-in-law, into her arms.

*~*~*~*~*

Jason followed Sam down to the kitchen. He could see she looked a little tense and had a feeling it had to do with the questions Elaina had been asking her. Jason wasn’t sure why Elaina was asking this stuff now, but he knew he and Sam were going to have to talk about it and figure out what to do.

*~*~*~*~*

Sam wasn’t sure what was going through Jason’s head at that moment. She had been glad he had saved her from having to answer Elaina’s questions, but she was also sure that Jason had heard those questions before joining them.

Pushing her hands through her hair, Sam turned to Jason.

“We have to talk,” they both said at the same time.

*~*~*~*~*

“So, Lorenzo doesn’t know that you’re here yet,” said Skye as she and Esmeralda sat at the kitchen table. “I wanted to surprise him and it was pretty fortunate that he was going to be out of the house at the time of your arrival.”

Esmeralda smiled. “It’s not always easy to surprise my son,” she said. “But the fact that you have accomplished that shows how well you know him.”

Skye smiled. The last time she had met Lorenzo’s mother had been two years ago when they had to bury Jessica. It had been a sad time and Skye had been so focused on supporting Lorenzo and getting him through it that she had not made time to get to know his mother better. She was glad to have the chance now.

Esmeralda Alcazar was a beautiful woman, in Skye’s opinion. Her sleek black hair, streaked silver, was tied into a tight knot at the back of her neck – not a hair was out of place. Her eyes, a shade or two darker than her son’s, still had that sparkle and snap to them, belying her intelligence. Her bronze skin was smooth and only slightly marred by wrinkles – although they seemed to add to the woman’s character rather than make her appear elderly. In fact, elderly was not a word Skye would ever think to use when describing her.

“Lorenzo and I have gotten to know each other pretty well the last couple of years. Losing Jessica was the hardest thing he’s ever had to go through . . ."

Esmeralda nodded and put her hand over Skye’s. “And he had you by his side, which was the most important thing. I could see then how much you love my son Skye. And I can see now how that love has grown. My Lorenzo is not someone who can easily give his heart away – it’s been broken too much. But when I saw him looking at you or when he would speak of you to me, I knew you were the right woman for him. You’re strong Skye, independent, and you don’t let him get away with anything. But at the same time, you love him and you let him be who he is without trying to change him.”

Skye blushed. “I’m not perfect Esmeralda,” she said quietly. “I have had my share of ups and downs – a lot of downs – in my life and I’ve done things I am not proud of . . . but I do love Lorenzo. He’s allowed me to be me. I don’t have to pretend with him. I don’t have to put on airs. I can be who I am, no strings attached.”

“And that is why you two are perfect together,” Esmeralda said. “You understand each other and come from somewhat similar backgrounds. I know Lorenzo is not perfect. None of us are. And I know Lorenzo greatly regrets a lot of his actions, but like you, he has a heart and a conscious – and that’s what separates him from the garbage that took his daughter from him.”

“To be honest, I seriously thought I was going to lose him after that,” Skye admitted. “For weeks, I could see how just getting up in the morning – if he even slept – was a struggle for him. And I know and understand the life he leads Esmeralda, so I knew how dangerous that was. How someone could take advantage of the situation and destroy him more than he already was. I was determined to not let that happen. So I pushed and pushed . . . until he finally heard me.” It hadn’t been easy to do, but Skye had known it was for the best as her mind wandered back to a night almost two months after Jessica’s death.

~ Flashback ~

“Lorenzo, you can’t keep going on like this,” Skye said as gently as she could. She was scared. Lorenzo was pale. He had lost weight. He wasn’t sleeping – the dark, sunken circled under his eyes were proof of that. And if he kept this up, Skye knew he was going to be the next one being buried before his time.

“I’m fine Skye,” Lorenzo answered, his back to her as he gazed out the window. “Go to bed.”

She hadn’t wanted to get angry with him, but he was giving her no choice. She was not going to sit around and watch him fade away like this. Not if she had anything to say about it.

“No,” she said firmly, walking over to him. “I am not going to sit here and do this anymore Lorenzo!”

Not even turning from the window, Lorenzo barely acknowledged her minirant.

Skye pulled in a breath. Fine. If she had to get tough, then that’s what she was going to have to do. Grabbing Lorenzo’s arm, Skye turned him to her and slapped him across the face. That got his attention.

“What the hell was that for?” he asked angrily, his eyes widened in shock.

“Getting a reaction out of you!” Skye said. “Apparently it’s the only thing that worked – right? Now that I have your full attention, you better listen up and listen good.”

Lorenzo stared at her and when he opened his mouth to speak, Skye held up her hand to silence him.

“I said listen, not speak. Understood?”

Lorenzo nodded, figuring it would be better to do as she said to avoid another slap like that. He could feel his cheek still stinging.

“I have been sitting here for weeks watching you ache and hurt for what you lost – and I understand that Lorenzo, I do. But unfortunately, you can’t afford to do this anymore! Your family needs you. And in your business, it will cost you your life! And I will not let that happen! I will not bury someone else that I care about so soon! Now, if you want to continue on this track, then that’s your decision, but know this – I am not going to sit here and watch. Not anymore. So you either pull yourself together and join your family in supporting each other, or I walk away now.”

~ End Flashback ~

“I knew it was a gamble, and I didn’t want to walk away, but I couldn’t do it anymore. I refused to sit by and watch him slowly dying,” Skye said.

Esmeralda looked at the other woman. She could see why Lorenzo loved her so much. And it went well beyond Skye’s classic beauty. It went a lot deeper. Skye had been hurt just as much and just as deeply as Lorenzo. And somehow they had found each other, and hung on through the worst of it. Esmeralda knew the life Skye was facing in her decision to stay with Lorenzo. It was the same life she herself has lived for well over 40 years. But the difference between them was that Skye chose to stay. Esmeralda was never given the choice.

“You did the right thing my dear,” Esmeralda assured her. “Believe me, I have knocked my son up the head a few times myself and I can assure you, it won’t be the last time you have to be strong with him.”